With eight games remaining in its conference schedule, the Wisconsin softball team is 7-5 and in fifth place in the Big Ten.
Four weekend series over the next three weeks will decide the team’s fate. Fortunately, the Badgers will play all eight games on a diamond where they are 4-1 this season.
“Anything can happen in the Big Ten,” head coach Karen Gallagher said. “You could be in fifth place but be in first place the next weekend if you have a good weekend.”
The top six teams in the regular season make the Big Ten tournament. Last year, UW finished sixth, earning the final spot in the tournament.
This weekend the Badgers take on winless Indiana in a doubleheader Sunday afternoon. Next weekend UW has a chance to move up in the standings with games against first-place Iowa and fourth-place Northwestern.
Iowa is tied with Michigan atop the league at 8-2. The two will play each other this weekend.
Northwestern has probably been the biggest surprise in the Big Ten this season. The Wildcats are 17-12 overall, 6-4 in the Big Ten.
“We have our destiny in our hands,” Gallagher said. “I tell the kids, ‘I don’t want you to depend on Purdue knocking off Michigan.’ You’ve just got to win every game and go at it hard. When we do that, we play well.”
Hitting on all cylinders:
The offense for UW has been extremely balanced this season. “Anybody on any given day can be the catalyst,” Gallagher said.
Seven players on the team have between 11 and 15 RBIs on the season. Shortstop Kristin Zacher leads the group with 15 RBIs and also has a team-high four home runs. Anna Jones, Kerry Hagen and Nicki Starry are tied for second with 14 RBIs each.
In last weekend’s three Big Ten victories, three different players sparked the offense. In Friday’s 1-0 win over Michigan State, Hagen drove in Sheena Padovan–who reached on a double–with a single to leftfield.
It was Jones’ turn to do the damage in Saturday’s win. She tallied the only two RBIs of the game for the Badgers with a double.
Zacher came through in Sunday’s first game against Michigan. She drilled a two-run homerun in the top of the third.
One hot player is usually all it takes for the Badgers to win with pitchers Andrea Kirchberg and Katie Layne on the mound.
Wisconsin is 23-1 when scoring at least two runs.
Home sweet home:
Today, the Badgers take on their second opponent from Chicago in a row. UW soundly defeated Loyola-Chicago 9-1 at home Tuesday.
Illinois-Chicago is today’s opponent. The Badgers travel to the Windy City to take on the Flames at 5 p.m.
UIC is 27-18 overall and has won four games in a row, including a two-game sweep of Purdue Tuesday.
“I think they’ve been to the NCAAs pretty much every year,” Gallagher said. “They’re a good, competitive team.”
The Badgers are also fighting for NCAA tournament position. A win against a quality opponent like UIC could only help UW’s chances of getting into post-season play.
“These are regional games right now,” Gallagher said. “Every game counts in the region.”
